Prohibition+9M

PROHIBITION By: Sophie Kaplan, Josh Horowitz, and Will Spielfogel

During a time of great progress in the United States, there was also great violence. In the United States while there were new inventions and fasion trends there were also things like american gangsters, illegal bars and alcohol, and mass murders like the St Valentines Day Massacre. The St Valentine's Day massacre was the most notorious mass murder in history. It was between two rival gangs and it woke up Chicago to the intensity of gang violence in America.

__The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre__ - Sophie Kaplan

Gang violence had become common, and unfeared in the city of Chicago, until [|The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre]. It took place at 10:30 on February 14, 1929, and was the most frightening day in Chicago gang history. It was also the most notorious mass murder ever in history. "Al Capone." //paranormalknowledge.com//. Web. 14 Mar 2011. . The Valentine's Day Massacre was revenge from [|Al Capone] and his gang, because during the cold Chicago winter, while Capone was in Florida, his partner was nearly killed in a hit by a rival gang lead by [|George "bugs' Moran] . This enraged Capone, so he let his partner Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn compose a plan to assasinate Moran.(George "Bugs" Moran." //ninjaboltheadmaster.glogster.com//. Web. 14 Mar 2011. [|http://ninjaboltheadmaster.glogster.com].) The plan was to first discover where Moran and his gang hide out. Then hire gun mens, not as if Capones gang couldn't kill them themselves, but if there were any survivors it would avert attention form capones gang. After that McGurn stole two cop cars and two police uniforms so Moran and his gang would think this was a normal police raid. Finally, mcGurn hired a "boozer" (a man who sold illegal alcohol) to set up a meeting for moran to meet him at 10:30 so the boozer could sell Moran a high quality alcohol for a good price ($57 per case). The day of Moran's assasionation finally came. One of the gunmen incorrectly identifyed a gang membor as Moran, so two gun men dressed as cops drove to the garage in their stolen cop cars and uniforms. Morans gang thought it was a normal police raid, and complied with the demands of the men. Moran's gang gave the "police" their weapons and stood face against the wall, only to get at least 15 bullets each in their back with their machine guns. George Moran was running late with his meeting with the boozer, saw the cop cars and ran. He had no idea that running late saved his life. Unfortunatly for Moran's men, all of them died withen three hours of the shooting. ("Valentine's Day Massacre." //4.bp.blogspot.com/_9g1Ege5PHsE/TULiWds53...y-1929.jpg// . Web. 14 Mar 2011. . )

Al Capone and his associate McGurn both had air tight allibys. McGurn was in a hotel room with his blonde girlfriend on that day, and Capone was being interigated by the Miami Dade Police. Even though the men didn't physically commit the crimes, everyone knew it was Capone's gang. This brought him national fame, and to the attention of the FBI.

Bibliography America in the 20th century (Janet McDonnell) (Marshall Cavedish) (New York) (2003) []

Speakeasies were formed in the 1920’s so people could drink alcohol without getting busted by law enforcement. Although they were illegal, the owner of a speakeasy could make a large profit. Law enforcement sometimes raided these speakeasies when they found out their location. Also, there were escape doors in many of these bars, and also secret storage compartments. There was believed to be over 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone. Many of these speakeasies were located in Harlem, which was part of the Harlem Renaissance. Speakeasies were extremely popular.

To start off the 1920’s; America began a national prohibition of alcohol. This is because there had been many problems when it came to alcohol. For example, sometimes husbands would come home drunk, which is dangerous around his wife and kids. As a solution, alcohol was completely prohibited.

**__ Famous Speakeasies __** Will Spielfogel

**__ Cotton Club __** The Cotton Club was a famous night club in Harlem, New York City. The club was founded by gangster Owney Madden on December 4, 1923.It featured many of the greatest African American musicians who performed for exclusively white audiences. The African Americans could communicate messages to whites through their music. Through the music, they explained their needs to be treated as equals. As a result of this, whites recognized what segregation was like while being an African American. The Cotton Club also hosted “celebrity nights,” where all the celebrities appeared. It was the most famous night club in New York City during the 1920’s and 30’s.

"Cotton Club." //lodging.uptake.com/blog/files/2009/03/the-cotton-club-straatisflickr.jpg//. Web. 8 Mar 2011. . "Modern Day Cotton Club." //wikipedia.org/wiki/File:21Club.JPG//. Web. 10 Mar 2011. . [] [|http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/the_cotton_club/] **__ Twenty-One __** This speakeasy first opened in Greenwich Village in 1922. Twenty One has a wine cellar that stores wine for celebrities, and even the president of the United States. This was such a famous club, every president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has dined at 21. It was visited so much by celebrities; many of them had favorite tables.

[] Modern day Twenty-One World History Series: The Roaring Twenties, By David Pietrusza, Copyright 1998 by Lucent Books, Inc. San Diego, California

__**GANGSTERS**__ Josh Horowitz

** Al Capone: ** In Brooklyn New York, Al Capone was born on January 17, 1899. He was part of two gangs when he was a kid. He quit school at age 14. In Manhattan he became part of a 5 points gang and became a bouncer and bartender. Capone worked for Yale’s old mentor named John Torrio. He liked Capone so he let Capone help with his bootlegging business. Capone was ranked his number tw o man in the 1920’s. In 1926, the newspapers were all over Capone. He was known by ‘’mayor of crook county”. ** America in the 20th Century. Page:401 **  "Photo Gallery." //The History Files//. Chicago Historical Society, 1999. Web. 14 Mar 2011. .

Al Capone’s worst killing was at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. It was on February 14, 1929. Capone’s gang killed 6 people in Moran’s gang and one friend of Moran. Moran went across the street when this happened so he didn't get killed. Capone said that he was in Florida when it happened so he didn’t get put in jail.

[]

 "Al Capone." //The History Book//. Chicago Historical Society, 1999. Web. 14 Mar 2011. .

Bugs Moran was imprisoned three times and committed more than 20 known burglaries before he was 21. He was part of O’Banion gang who was rivals with Capone’s gang. Moran would make truces with Capone but then he brake them hours later. One time, Moran drove past Al Capone’s headquarters firing more than 1,000 shots in the building. Bug Moran hated Capone. In the Valentine St. Day Massacre, Moran arrived late so he didn’t get killed.
 * Bugs Moran: **

[]

""bugs" Moran." //www.gambino.com/bio/bugsmoran.htm//. Web. 10 Mar 2011. .

Work Cited ** "George 'Bugs' Moran.." //"Taste of the Fam ily Page"//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar 2011. . **


 * "Al Capone." //The History Files//. Chicago Historical Society, 1999. Web. 14 Mar 2011. . **


 * Mcdonald, Janet. //America in the 20th Century//. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2003. 401. Print. **

__VOCABULARY:__ __MACHINE GUNS__- A new invention of the prohibition period where a gun could shoot up to 600 rounds per minutes during WWI __HARLEM RENAISSANCE__- A cultural movement of African Americans in Harlem __AMERICAN GANGSTER__- a member of a gang of criminals __ PROHIBITION __ -the ban of alcohol in the United States __Bootlegging__- the making and selling of illegal alcohol